All Ages Policies

We welcome concert goers of all ages into our paid events, but we prefer those under 18 years old to have parental permission and be accompanied by an adult. Please note that we adhere to strict underage drinking restrictions and no one under the age of 21 may buy, consume, or possess alcohol. Those who do not adhere to these policies will be removed from the venue without refund and risk criminal prosecution. Please also be aware that DC has a Curfew Law which affects those under the age of 17. Read more about the DC Curfew law here.

Valid ID To Drink

Because we welcome concert goers of all ages we require a valid government issued ID from ALL patrons who wish to drink alcohol at the Black Cat, no exceptions! Patrons without valid ID will be given a hand-stamp that forbids them to buy, possess or consume alcohol at the Black Cat. If you are clearly 'of age' this policy may seem absurd to you but we must adhere to this policy in order to meet our responsibilities to the community. Those who do not adhere to these policies will be removed from the venue without refund. It is illegal to purchase alcohol for a minor and those who do so will also be removed without refund and risk criminal prosecution.

Black Cat is cash-only.

We have two ATMs on-site.

Booking Policies

Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we cannot respond to each one. The Black Cat specializes in indie/alternative/punk/experimental music. If you think your music falls into one of these categories, send us your stuff. If your music does not fit into our format (i.e. jam bands, adult-contemporary rock, jazz, singer-songwriters, etc.) it may be a waste of your resources to submit a demo.